mal de ojo

[ˈmal̪ d̪e ˈoxo]

/[ˈmal̪ d̪e ˈoxo]/ phrase

The verdict

“mal de ojo” is outside the top-ranked Spanish vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Influjo maléfico que, según vanamente se cree, puede una persona ejercer sobre otra mirándola de cierta manera, y con particularidad sobre los niños.

Key facts for mal de ojo
PropertyValue
Headwordmal de ojo
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈmal̪ d̪e ˈoxo]
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mal de ojo” sits in Spanish frequency

mal de ojo falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for mal de ojo is 10 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈmal̪ d̪e ˈoxo]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Influjo maléfico que, según vanamente se cree, puede una persona ejercer sobre otra mirándola de cierta manera, y con particularidad sobre los niños.".

No misspelling variants are generated for mal de ojo in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is mal de ojo, spelled M-A-L- -D-E- -O-J-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Influjo maléfico que, según vanamente se cree, puede una persona ejercer sobre otra mirándola de cierta manera, y con particularidad sobre los niños.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mal de ojo"?
"mal de ojo" is spelled M-A-L- -D-E- -O-J-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈmal̪ d̪e ˈoxo].
What does "mal de ojo" mean?
As a phrase, "mal de ojo" means: Influjo maléfico que, según vanamente se cree, puede una persona ejercer sobre otra mirándola de cierta manera, y con particularidad sobre los niños.
How do you pronounce "mal de ojo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mal de ojo" is [ˈmal̪ d̪e ˈoxo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "mal de ojo" come from?
"mal de ojo" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “mal de ojo”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is M-A-L- -D-E- -O-J-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈmal̪ d̪e ˈoxo] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list